Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Today, at least in public discussion around agriculture, fertilizer is often debated – and yet it remains an essential part of nutrient cycles. We now understand the connection with nutrients, but that was not always the case.
Time travel
Let’s travel back to around 4,000 BC. In ancient Egypt, Nile silt as well as animal and human waste was already being used to improve crop yields. Similar records also exist from China. The first Greek references date back to 8 BC and can be found in Homer’s Odyssey. The exact relationships were not yet understood, but it was already recognized that fertilization increased yields.
The chemistry behind it
Around 1840, chemist Justus von Liebig succeeded in demonstrating the growth-promoting effects of the nutrients nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. This also laid the foundation for agricultural chemistry, which has since focused on the research and development of chemical products for agriculture. Around this time, the rapidly growing trade in guano – deposited bird droppings – began.
The guano trade was a thriving business until the end of the 19th century, as it was used not only in agriculture but also in explosives production. The knowledge of guano’s benefits was not new: the Incas had already used it as fertilizer. However, this knowledge was temporarily lost after their decline.
Artificial fertilizer
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Haber-Bosch process made the production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer possible: in 1913, the first plant for this type of artificial fertilizer was put into operation.
After the Second World War, an increasing number of industrially produced fertilizers with different compositions entered the market. This was supported by low oil prices, which served both as a raw material and as energy for machinery.
At the same time, various branches of organic agriculture developed, such as biodynamic farming, which is still practiced today under the “Demeter” standard.
And the future?
Every farmer is aware of the regulations and the time-consuming documentation requirements for fertilization. The (frequent updates of) designation of “nitrate vulnerable zones” does not make things easier. Media coverage can also be problematic, often creating uncertainty among people with no connection to agriculture. The usefulness of some regulations can certainly be debated. However, one fact remains: plants need nutrients to grow. With advancing technology, farming is becoming increasingly precise, and fertilizers – in any form – are a valuable resource. Their application costs time and money. And at least the latter only pays off if nutrients actually reach the plants and not the groundwater – something that benefits no one.
